


Guilty Parties

by bookishdelight



Category: Power Rangers R.P.M.
Genre: F/F, Hope, Light Angst, playing fast and loose with canon for fun and profit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-12-24 13:35:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21100313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookishdelight/pseuds/bookishdelight
Summary: Amidst the wastelands of a planet torn by war between the organic and technological, two young women from both sides take a risk—a risk that may well hold the key to peace.So long as they can realize this fact for themselves first.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [snakelesbians](https://archiveofourown.org/users/snakelesbians/gifts).

> Hope this is sufficient. 2009 was a long time ago. :)

Summer Landsdown tiptoed quietly down the steps of the base's garage, keeping her usual observant eyes and wits about her. A spare pair of night vision goggles she'd swiped from Corinth's supply stash hours ago were required for her to be able to see in the darkness post-lights-out, but she couldn't take chances being noticed.

Once down the stairs she quickly looked for the connecting path to her objective, finding it within seconds. The back of Summer's mind nagged at her that the connecting doorway to the computer room should have been locked at this hour—or, if it was open, then a certain scientist should have been sitting and tapping away at a keyboard, given that she was seemingly proud of her eternal insomnia. 

But it _wasn't_ locked, and that scientist _wasn't_ inside, and Summer decided to not look a gift horse in the mouth. She went inside, navigating around Ranger gear and tiptoeing state-of-the-art invention prototypes, until, finally, she found herself in front of her objective: a computer with multiple keyboards and monitors.

"Ugh. Which of these buttons _is_ it?" She muttered to herself. She liked to think she was okay with the base's uniquely labynthine computer systems, but they were nowhere near as fun to work with as motorcycle engines.

Finally, a password prompt flashed in front of her. The computer's administrator had entrusted Summer with said password last month—gaining a reputation for being the "sensible" one had its perks, and even as the back of Summer's mind began nagging at her again that she was performing a serious breach of trust, she put it in.

Once in, she accessed the base's global positioning system, taking out a small piece of paper from her pocket containing several scrawled numbers. She input them into the computer, ran the geological readings…

And her eyebrows shot up.

_She really was telling the truth._

Summer's mind spun. What did this mean? 

Before she could think on the matter, her vision went blinding white. With a yelp, Summer and yanked off the goggles. It took some time for her vision to clear, but when it did she saw a diminutive raven-haired young woman staring at her from the doorway, arms crossed, looking half disappointed, and half the slightest bit smug. Summer held in a groan. The woman probably had relished in messing with Summer's eyes like that.

"Please refresh my memory," Doctor K said as she fiddled with the lapels of her lab coat, "because I forget the part where I no longer was this team's tactical and technological coordinator, and instead became your _mother_."

Summer collected herself, gripping the ends of the computer table. Being caught by any of the other Rangers—even Scott—would have been something she could have fast-talked her way out of. Doctor K, however, was raised fighting battles of wits all of her life. Summer knew she was going in unarmed, but Landsdowns never gave up without trying first. 

Actually, maybe that was just her. And her late butler, who'd sacrificed himself so she could live. Okay, then. She was going to do this for Andrews, dammit. 

"Um, not true," Summer faltered. "First off, you've met my mother." 

"I have," Doctor K said, pacing about the room, "and _this_ would be closer to how I expected you to have turned out given her haphazard child-rearing techniques, as opposed to the shining example of Ranger Operator I entrusted my system's passwords to. Or, I should say, _once_-shining example." Doctor K stopped pacing, and began wandering in Summer's direction. "In a way, I'm relieved—my paradigm of placing as little trust in people as possible remains unshifted. And yet, at the same time, I'm greatly frustrated." She walked directly up to Summer. "Frustration hurts. Why would you hurt me, Summer? I was sure you were the only one in this base I _hadn't_ offended with my winning personality."

Summer didn't have a ready answer for that, so she took the time to gather herself mentally. If she was going to be as truthful to Doctor K as possible without revealing the _entire_ truth, she was going to have to be as delicate as possible. When she was finally ready, she said in as level a voice as she could muster, "So, I know what this looks like. I really do."

"Good," Doctor K said. "Then you have the knowledge to tell me what you were thinking, accessing my systems without permission, because even I can't figure that one out on my own without assuming the worst and hitting the alarm."

Once more, Summer chose her words carefully. "Would you believe that it's something that could turn the tide of the war?"

The tiniest bit of hope-against-hope flashed in Doctor K's eyes. "Okay. I'll call down the other Ranger Operators and Colonel Truman, and you can tell us all about your grand discovery." She made for the computer.

"No!" Summer said a little too quickly, positioning herself between Doctor K and the keyboards. "I'm very sorry about not alerting you sooner, but this is something I've been working on for a while, and… well, it's something I need to see through myself." 

"If it's something as pivotal as you say," Doctor K said, "then I'm sorry, but that's unacceptable. Please move so that I may summon the others."

"It's the _only_ acceptable option!" Summer blurted, holding her position.

Her words echoed through the computer room, leaving an uneasy silence which lasted for several moments until Doctor K finally put her hands on her hips and said, "Then tell. Me. Why."

Summer sighed. "I've been in talks with an… informant. From Venjix's side. I haven't told them any of our secrets, and don't plan to, but they've given me some of their intel. Which has already proven useful."

Doctor K's eyes narrowed, and Summer could tell she was deep in thought, processing scenarios at the fastest speed of her highly honed synapses. "The last couple of Venjix Attack Bots went down surprisingly fast. Honestly, I thought you were all simply improving. Even Ziggy." She paused for a moment before adding, "The fact that I no longer have to give him credit should not relieve me as much as it does."

"Yes," Summer said. "That was to show that she was serious."

Doctor K's eyebrows raised. "'She?''"

"I think she wants to defect," Summer said. "But she's clearly conflicted."

"Putting the gender statistics of Venjix's factions aside… those are robots over there," Doctor K said, her voice wavering. "Internal conflicts aren't really their thing."

"Yes, but they're robots manufactured by a computer virus engineered by you. Would you say that the AI you created would never allow for a conscience?"

"I…" Doctor K turned away from Summer, placing her palms on the computer table. "I never got the chance to confirm. I always wanted to."

"Then give _me_ a chance to," Summer said. Were it any other person, Summer would have placed a hand on their shoulder, but Doctor K had made it clear early on that she didn't like to be touched. "This is a diplomatic mission. If you can think of anyone else in this base as diplomatic as I am, then I'm all ears."

A long silence ensued. Finally, Doctor K's shoulders slumped in relenting. Without turning around, she spoke once more.

"You _are_ taking your morpher, and you _will_ be alone and unsupervised. Also, if I don't hear from you in exactly three hours, I will be hitting this alarm as per my original plan, telling everyone that you snuck out, and leaving you at the mercy of Corinth's officers and legal system."

"The same system we just had to save you from?"

"That's how you know my promise carries weight. Do you accept these terms?"

With a deep breath, Summer said, "I do." She stepped aside, allowing access to the computer.

After a long hesitation, Dr. K sighed herself, sat in her chair, and took the computer's reins. "Honestly, my life is one string of unbroken mistakes. Though I suppose, in the end, that means I have little left to lose."


	2. Chapter 2

Tenaya 7 walked the halls of Venjix's base with her head held high.

Computer monitors blinked with static in her wake. Grinders stopped to salute when she passed by. Scrapped Attack Bots did nothing, because, well, they were non-functional. They were piles of parts, while Tenaya continued to stand strong. Continued to survive.

She'd outlive Venjix, too. It was just a matter of time.

She walked along the maze of hallways, a maze which she knew by heart, but still didn't enjoy navigating. However, this maze was the quickest way towards the sole exit to be had from the base—unless one felt like blowing a hole in one of the walls. Which _Tenaya_ wouldn't have minded, but it would have landed her a reprimand for sure, and the fewer of those on her record, the better—

Tenaya stopped short.

Speaking of which.

Her inner senses and her internal GPS systems alerted her to a survival instinct she was well familiar with.

One last hallway stood between her and the bases exit. And it was the one that Venjix had full view of.

For some reason, Venjix's detection sensors were by far the strongest here, while barely a blip anywhere else in the base. It wasn't as if he didn't have the power to do otherwise. It was more as if, instead, he _preferred_ to give himself a limited range of awareness—much like the organic beings that he, Tenaya and the rest of the machines were at war with.

This, on top of him building his own humanoid body once… to say nothing of creating Tenaya herself. Sometimes Tenaya wondered if her hunches were correct, and Venjix truly did have human envy despite what he preached. And if so, well, she almost didn't blame him.

What was it _about_ humans—especially the one Tenaya has been associating with, recently—that made them so… interesting to toy with, despite their many, many, annoying, _insufferable_ flaws?

She would have all the time in the world, outside, under the cover of night—technically, very, _very_ early morning—to ponder on such questions. For the moment, she pressed a button on her shoulder, activating an experimental personal cloaking system which she'd put together from several scrapped Attack Bots. This would be its first field test.

She attempted to hold in any excitement as, after a short amount of time, a coat of invisibility painted itself over her hand, then her arm, and the rest of her body, until even she could not see herself, nor access herself using her GPS. She straightened up, took a deep breath, and walked past the hallway.

Venjix said nothing, his red light pulsing as normal, without a single aberration in its rhythm.

Exactly ten seconds later, three steps away from being safely past Venjix, her arm sparked, and she was visible once more.

_"Tenaya!"_ a harsh robotic voice boomed.

Right on cue. The red light of Venjix's column pulsed, if not in anger, then certainly in annoyance. "Why did my sensors only notice you now?"

Tenaya sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes in front of him. "I was merely conducting a test of new systems designed to fool the Rangers. I figured if it could fool you, they wouldn't stand a chance. However, I should have known that no one escapes your crimson, all-seeing eye."

A long silence passed before Venjix said, "Make sure you notify me of such tests in the future. I admire innovation, but not at the cost of intelligence."

"Understood." Tenaya turned and continued her walk towards the exit.

"Wait," Venjix said.

Tenaya held in a groan.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving on a scouting mission," Tenaya replied. "I've found a suspicious area of the wastes that I don't trust, and want to make sure to claim it before what's left of the old world gets any ideas."

"Commendable initiative," Venjix said. "Take Shifter and some Grinders with you to investigate, and report—"

"_No!_" Tenaya said, a little too quickly and forcefully. She cleared her throat, leveling her voice. "They're… not needed. If there were refugees, we don't want to be an invading army… _yet_. There would be chaos, and we would lose some when we could have them all." She looked at Venjix straight on. "You're going to have to trust me with the details. I will inform when the time is right to strike with our full might."

Another long silence from Venjix before his next reply. "Very well. Do not disappoint me."

"When have I ever?" Tenaya said, making sure her relief didn't show on her face.

"The time I would have to spend to answer that would be better spent designing an entire fleet of new Attack Bots. Now, go. And get me results."

"As you command." Tenaya saluted, then walked past Venjix towards the safety of the base exit. Along the way, she _finally_ allowed herself the luxury of an eyeroll as a single thought echoed through her mind:

_This had better be worth it._


	3. Chapter 3

An hour later, Tenaya pulled up to the coordinates she'd given Summer, and dismounted her motorcycle.

It was a deserted location of Tenaya's choosing—no, make that a _beyond_ deserted location. If Venjix had even one reason to suspect something, to try and uncover what Tenaya had been doing behind his back…

Tenaya pushed such thoughts out of her head. She would survive, while deceiving whoever she needed to in order to do so. And she would get what she wanted, every single time.

Speaking of which. Tenaya scanned the horizon. Where _was_ that idiotic human—wait a minute. A speck in the distance. She waited, until she saw a motorcycle finally reach her.

"You're… on time," Tenaya said, after Summer came to her stop, her engine purring in time with Tenaya's. "How perfectly boring."

"It's in the good guys contract. I like your ride," Summer said, pointing to Tenaya's custom motorcycle. Tenaya had started with a standard-issue Grinder chopper, then added some chrome to taste, as well as a generous supply of purple paint. Once she was done, there was no mistaking who her 'ride' belonged to. "How come you never used that against us?"

Tenaya scoffed. "Because I don't like my wins to be too easy." She looked out into the distance again, avoiding eye contact on purpose. The last thing this girl needed was thinking that this meeting was anything but business—Tenaya's own business, where she would be the only one who profited. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Summer said.

The two re-mounted their bikes. Tenaya drove east, with Summer following beside, and only a hair behind. It was all desert and dust as far as they eye could see, to the point where sometimes, even Tenaya herself wondered if she was guiding correctly, even with her systems telling her that she was doing just fine.

* * *

Half an hour later, as the coordinates grew closer, she saw a cave that she'd used as a landmark the last time she'd come all this way, and guided Summer towards and into it. The two parked their bikes, and dismounted once more.

"We're one mile out," Tenaya said, breaking into a stride. "Keep up if you want to stay with me. I have no time in my life for shiftless stragglers."

"Believe me, that won't be a problem, especially given what I'm risking," Summer said, keeping pace. "Doctor K finally caught me tonight."

Tenaya stopped in her tracks. Typical Venjix-damned amateur! "What did you tell her?" she asked, keeping her voice and demeanor cool, albeit just barely.

"There's no keeping secrets from Doctor K," Summer said, as if it were the most basic piece of knowledge in the universe—which, given Tenaya's run-ins with Doctor K, it probably was. "I told her everything."

Tenaya tensed, gritting her teeth. Her heads-up display tinted the slightest bit red. Her fingers—which she could use to fashion a blaster anytime she wanted with the speed and reflexes of pure thought—twitched.

"Well, 98% of everything," Summer continued. "I didn't say where our meeting place was, and I didn't say who I was meeting."

Hiding her relief, but still visibly relaxing, Tenaya rolled her eyes. "Surprised you managed that much. I'd say that next time I'd recruit the literal convict you have on your team instead, but I can only take so much moronism in a single life form." Given the way Summer's face twisted upon that remark, it seemed tick her a bit. Good. Especially since Tenaya meant it. She smiled inwardly.

"Yeah, well, what about you and Venjix? Summer asked. "Surely he has to have caught on to you by now."

"Unlike some goody-two-shoes Rangers I could name, _I_ don't buckle under pressure from commander-types." Tenaya paused before adding, "I'm also clearly a much better liar than you. Though it's not easy. He and your Doctor K are more alike than I bet either would want to admit. Which I suppose makes sense, since she made him."'

Summer stopped, frozen. "Wow, I never thought about it that way before." She giggled.

Tenaya tilted her head. "What's so funny?"

"I mean, think about it," Summer said, her face still mirthful. "My boss is your boss's creator. Wouldn't that make her his mom?"

Tenaya shuddered. "And you call _me_ evil." She looked around. "I think we're close."

Summer looked around, "How can you—" she managed, just before visibly noticing patches of green all around them. Blades of grass fought to be seen; the occasional flower bud among them. The two looked into the distance as they walked towards it, to see large mounds of green—canopies, to be more specific. The barest hint of sunlight peeked behind the area—dawn was fast approaching.

Another twenty minutes was all it took. It was nowhere near fully grown. Tree trunks were soft and canopies were sparse even while colorful, but this clearly had the making of what Tenaya's research had informed her was called a 'forest'. A mass of entirely _organic_ life.

It both sickened and fascinated her.

"This is amazing," Summer said.

Of _course_ Summer would say that. "It's whatever," Tenaya scoffed as while walking forward again and continuing to look around, doing everything possible to hide any visible awe. Apparently she didn't do as well as was desired, because she saw Summer looking at her soon enough. "Something wrong with my face?"

Summer shook her head as she walked beside Tenaya. "You just… seem to be as appreciative of this as I am."

"Only appreciative of how much of a colossal blunder this is." Tenaya rolled her eyes. "Venjix is sloppy," she said, gesturing around the mini-forest. "His vision of a completely technological world under his reign won't happen if he keeps this up."

The two walked further in, and Tenaya continued to digest everything around herself, from the greenery to the tree bark, to the tiny animals scurrying below her, to the soft soil beneath her feet. As she took it all in, the just barely noticed that her senses were starting to change as well. Perhaps it was the air quality that was markedly different from the wasted, but things were starting to blend together.

And the forest was beginning to feel like it had been home all of her life.

Music whistled in the the back of her mind. A girl, laughing. A distinctive tune that was impossible for her to place…

A patch of yellow.

Tenaya snapped out of it with a gasp, to see _several_ patches of yellow, stretching out towards the rising sun. A closer look revealed that they all belonged to flowers. She looked behind herself—Summer was still tapping trees, studying them, ever so often taking out a small computer and placing it near them.

Tenaya bent down, and plucked one of the flowers, then took it back. "Summer," she said, once she was standing in front of her… nemesis?

Well, yes. Summer _was_ a Ranger.

Were they not supposed to be killing each other?

"Huh?" Summer said, before nearly jumping back at the sight of Tenaya holding out a flower towards her. "Oh! For…" She looked into Tenaya's eyes. "For me?"

"Yes. No! I mean…" It was the first time someone _had_ ever met Tenaya's eyes. She found herself frozen in the moment, shocked that such a tiny, intangible gesture could have such an impact, before shaking her head. "I mean, I found this further ahead. Don't you have some kind of scanner thing to examine it with?"

"It's a flower," Summer said, getting out her portable device again. "I'll probably get the same readings from it that I've been getting from these trees. But… sorry." She chuckled, shaking her head. "For a moment i thought you meant something… else."

"Like what?" The _something_ from before nagged at the back of Tenaya's mind again. The view of a little girl in front of her, smiling, as they held yellow flowers in each others' hands.

"Well," Summer said, "Humans give each other flowers as a gesture, to let them know when they enjoy each others' company. That's all."

"Oh. Well, then you can…"

_Then you can keep it,_ Tenaya didn't finish. Why would she want to?

Why _did_ she want to?

Why was Summer the first thing she'd thought of, weeks ago, when she'd first discovered the existence of this place? Why had she risked life and circuits to keep herself hidden while they engaged in secret communiques? Why had Summer done the same?

To gather intel. To put Tenaya in a vulnerable spot. Both of these reasons made sense. What didn't make sense was why neither of them was taking advantage of the other's vulnerability. They were alone right now. Tenaya had insisted on it. Why weren't they fighting right now?

_Why am I consorting with the enemy? Why am I not—_

Tenaya gritted her teeth, morphing her hand into a blaster, pointing it directly at Summer. Summer held up her hands. "Why?" Tenaya demanded.

"Why what?" Summer said, before sighing. "I was hoping I could trust you."

"That's just it!" Tenaya's voice rose. "Why are you trusting me? If our places were reversed, you would be dead right now. "Why did you let me invite you out here? Why have you been talking to me in the first place? Why have you been risking everything to talk _to_ me?"

"Tenaya," Summer said, slowly putting her hands down. "I don't have all the answers, but we can find them together, I pro—"

"Don't _give_ me that!" Tenaya yelled. "_This place_ was supposed to have answers! Instead it's just a bunch of trees!" She plucked the yellow flower from Summer's hand, looking backwards to the patch. "Instead, it's nothing but more—"

As she gazed on the flowers… the music played again. Music, accompanied by the most pain Tenaya had experienced in her entire life pulsing through her head. Which in itself was odd, since she and pain were distanct acquaintances at best.

She didn't even have it in her to scream, as the world faded into darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

Summer sat against the trunk of a tree, keeping watch as she held Tenaya in her arms and a damp cloth over her head. She wasn't even sure if the cloth would work, but it was the first and only thing she could think of at the time, after catching Tenaya mid-faint. She sighed, trying to think of anyone in Corinth City who would approve of seeing her and Tenaya as they were, right now.

Likely only Ziggy, she concluded. And even then, most likely for all the wrong reasons.

A soft groan interrupted her thoughts. Summer looked down to see Tenaya flutter open her eyes, look up, recognize Summer, and gasp. A moment later, Tenaya's expression soured. "And you _still_ haven't killed me. You're an idiot."

"You're welcome," Summer said. "Would it help if I said that I thought about it?"

Tenaya sat up, brushing herself off before standing. "Not really."

Summer stood up as well. "You were talking while you were… unconscious? I'm not sure what machines call it."

"Temporary hibernation," Tenaya said, looking for the exit to the forest, then walking towards it.

"Got it." Summer followed, a short silence settling between them, before she got annoyed with it. Was Tenaya always going to be this… this impenetrable? "'Music and flowers,'" she finally said. "Those were your words over and over again while you slept things off."

Tenaya rolled her eyes and scoffed. "What, do humans talk in their sleep, too?"

"Again, only when it means something. And look, I know this is the part where you 'remind' me that you're a machine again, but… I'm buying that less and less the more I get to know you."

Summer watched Tenaya slow her walking speed by exactly ten percent, and sped up her own walking by just as much in order to catch up. "I think you're more human then you even look. And you've always made your own decisions, haven't you? You've disobeyed Venjix before, we've seen it!"

"I don't care," Tenaya said, speeding up again.

Finally done playing around, Summer finally raised her voice, and grasped Tenaya's hand. "Well, you _should!_"

Her words echoed throughout the forest, until the blanket of silence settled over them again.

"What you should do, is let go," Tenaya said softly.

Summer matched that softness as she stepped in front of Tenaya, gesturing around the forest. "_This_ is what happens when we're allowed to be our true selves, Tenaya. On neutral ground, where neither of our sides are fighting… in the absence of our war, life flourishes. And before Venjix came around, technology did as well. There were cities where both managed to coexist, but life still flourished! Life that includes yourself."

Summer sighed, letting go of Tenaya's hand and looking away. "Maybe you're human. Maybe you're a machine. But you're Tenaya all the same. That's all that matters. We are who we are. And no one gets in the way of that."

She looked into Tenaya's eyes.

"That's why I came. That's why I let all of _this_ happen. To see who Tenaya really is. And if I didn't like what I saw… you're right. This would have ended a lot sooner."

Several moments passed in silence as Tenaya's face took on a gradually deepening shade of red. Which shouldn't have been possible for a machine, could it? How complicated did Venjix make them?

Tenaya seemed to come to the same conclusion, as her hands touched her cheeks… and she whirled around, morphing her casual walk to a purposeful stride.

"We're done here," Tenaya said.

And for the rest of the trek back to the cave, they absolutely were.

* * *

But not for long.

Summer rode her motorcycle across the wastes, their last talk once they reached the cave refusing to leave her mind. Tenaya had finally called her by name when they had gotten on their bikes. Almost too anxiously, Summer had answered.

_"Look, Summer. Those things I was talking about in my sleep… they were things I was seeing and hearing at the time. I've been seeing and hearing them for a long time. I'm not sure what it means when I do."_

_"I might know some people who could help."_

Tenaya had stayed wordless for several seconds, looking back at Summer, before finally turning her bike around, and driving back towards Venjix's fortified territory. Summer did the same, heading back to Corinth.

That short exchange was the extent of their farewells to each other.

Upon reaching Corinth-protected territory, her morpher beeped. She stopped her bike to take the call. "Go for Summer."

"Greetings, Ranger Operator Series Yellow. How was your night with Tenaya?"

Summer sighed. Of course Doctor K knew. Deciding to leave things at that, she said, "I have our intel. The world is regrowing even faster than we anticipated. Venjix's apocalypse isn't permanent by a long shot. I have floral and arboreal readings which you can analyze better than I can."

She could hear the surprise in Doctor K's voice. "That's… actually very good news. Give me what you have when you arrive, and I'll get on it right away."

"Agreed." Thinking back to the last words she and Tenaya shared, Summer added, "I have more news to tell you as well. In private."

"All right. We'll meet tonight. And Summer?"

"Yes, Doctor K?"

"Good work," Doctor K said after only the slightest hesitation.

Summer put her morpher away, and reached into her jacket pocket, pulling out a small sheet of paper with purple writing. Another set of numbers. Another set of coordinates. With a date and time set for one week from today.

And the words, "Thank You," at the bottom.

With a small smile, Summer re-mounted her bike, and headed home.


End file.
